Regulator-damper for stoves or furnaces.



N0. 642,583. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

. C. W. CHENEY.

REGULATOR DAMPER FOR STUVES 0R FURNACES.

(Application filed Nov. 80, 1898.)

(No Mocfel.)

Wiigeszses I 1% 721,0 Jhi e s,

THE mum: PEYERS co. WU" wmmsrw o c NITED STATES PATENT CHARLES WA RREN CHENEY, OF ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO' CHARLES A. BACON AND H. M. SLATE, OF SAME PLACE.

REGULATOR-DAMPER FOR STOVES OR FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,583, dated February 6, 1900. Application filed November 30, 1898. Serial No. 697,873. (No modeli) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-CHARLES WARREN CHE- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Athol, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Regulator Damper for Stoves or Furnaces, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to a regulator-damper for all kinds of stoves and furnaces; and the object in view is to provide an improved construction by which the volume of the products of combustion may be controlled more or less according to the draft required through the structure without changing the relative position of the damper to the pipe in which it may be located.

- A further object of the invention is to provide means which will keep the parts of the damper locked in their adjusted position for the circulation or escape of the products of combustion, and these means may easily be operated from the outside of the pipe to vary the area of the ports for the escape of such products of combustion.

A further object of the invention is to SlIIl-' plify the construction of the damper and render it efficient and reliable in service.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the combination of atWo-partdamper, one member of which is provided with slots in alternate relation with slots in the other member, means for slidably connecting said members for one of them to be adjusted laterally with respect to the other, and thereby vary the area of the ports formed by the slots in the two members, and means for positively adjusting one member relatively to the other member.

The invention further consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of a damper embodying my invention and fitted to a pipe. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the complete damper removed from the pipe. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through the pivots or trunnions. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the regulator-damper on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the relatively-fixed disk member.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

The damper proper forming the subjectmatter of the present invention essentially comprises a pair of opposing matching disk members 1 and 2, which are relatively fixed and movable and are also capable of being turned on a common axis, so as to operate in the capacity of an ordinary damper in the manner to be hereinafter more fully explained. The said disk members 1 and 2, forming the damper, are respectively of different sizes, the adjustable or movable member 2 being of a somewhat smaller diameter than the relatively-fixed member 1, so as to snugly register within an annular flange 3, which projects from a portion of the peripl1- cry of said member 1, and it will also be observed that by reason of its peculiar construction the adjustable disk member 2 is also provided with peripheral flange projections 4, so that when the two members are matched they will have an even registering fit.

Both of the opposing matching disk membcrs 1 and 2 of the damper are formed with parallel transverse angular corrugations which impart to the disk members a zigzag angularshape in cross-section, and by reason of its transverse angular corrugations the relatively-fixed disk member 1 is provided with a series of parallel V-shaped bars 5 and slots 6, alternating'with said bars 5 and located in the intervals between the angles formed by the inclined faces of the bars. The opposing relatively-movable disk member 2 is correspondingly constructed, being formed with the transverse slats 7 and the parallel slots 8 alternating therewith; but the angular corrugations of the relatively-movable disk member 2 are arranged to have the slats 7 thereof disposed alternately to the bars 5 of the fixed disk member 1, whereby said slats 7 of the member 2 may fit over the spaces between the said bars 5 of the member 1 to enable the two disk members of the damper to lie compactly together and effectually close the ports therethrough. The slots or openings 8 in the relatively-movable disk member 2 are disposed at the angles formed by the inclined transverse slat-s 7, and said slots or openings 8 of the member 2 are in alternate relation to the slots or openings 6 in the opposing and matching member 1. This relation of the slots or openings in the two members of the damper causes the slotted portions of one member to lie opposite the solid portions in the other member, and thus the ports through the damper are closed when the members thereof are adjusted, so as to bring the same in registering engagement, it being observed that the angular corrugations of one disk member accurately register with the correspondiugly-shaped corrugations of the other member. To provide for the support and adjustment of the disk member 2 relative to the disk member 1, the said disk member 2 is provided at its center with an integral webpiece 9, formed therein with a squared opening 10,in which is secured, by means of a key or other suitable fastening, the upper end of a straight rack-stem 11. This straight rack-stem 11 projects from one side of the relativelymovable adjustable disk member 2 and slidably registers in the guide groove or opening 12, disposed at the center of the disk member 1 and formed in the central guide-boss 13, formed integrally with the disk member 1 and projecting laterally therefrom at its center. The teeth of the rack-stem 11 mesh with the teeth of a gearpinion l4, fitted on the inner end of an adjusting-shai't 15. The adjusting-shaft 15 is supported wholly by the relatively-fixed disk member 1 of the damper, and the inner end portion of said shaft is supported to turn in the perforated bearing-ear 16, projected integrally from the central bar of the disk member 1 at one side of the plane of the guide groove or opening 12, and at this point it will be observed that the said guide-groove as well as the bearing-ear 16 are disposed somewhat obliquely, so that the adjusting-shaft 15 will be given an oblique disposition in order that the same may be projected through one of the trunnions of the disk member 1, and in this connection it will be also observed that the outer end portion of the adjustingshaft 15 is mounted to turn in the tubular trunnion 17, projected integrally from one side of the relatively-fixed disk member 1. At a point diametrically opposite the tubular trunnion 17 the disk member 1 is provided with a threaded opening 18, which receives therein the threaded stem of the trunnionscrew 19. The tubular trunnion 17 and the trunnion-screw 19 are arranged in diametrical alinement, whereby the damper-disk memher 1 may be pivotally hung or suspended within the escape-pipe 20 from a stove or furnace. By reason of the mounting of the trunnion-screw 19 said screw not only projects through one of the bearing or trunnion openings of the stove-pipe 20, but by being tightened up provides means for holding the damper in its closed position across the pipe when the device is used simply in the capacity of a draft-regulator by the relative adj ustment of the two disk members thereof.

The adjusting-shaft 15 turns freely in the tubular trunnion 17, so as to provide for the movement or adjustment of the disk member 2 without disturbing the position of the disk member 1, and one end of the shaft 15 is projected beyond the outer extremity of the tubular trunnion 17 and is made angular or polygonal, as at 21, so as to have detachably fitted thereon the operating-handle 22. The opcrating-handle 22, which is mounted on the polygonal apertured end of the adjustingshaft 15, is provided with a sleeve or collar 23, having an angular opening to receive the end 2] of the shaft 15 and having fitted therein a binding-screw 24:, which is designed to impinge on the shaft extremity 21 to detachably secure the operating-handle 22 thereon, so that such handle will turn with the shaft 15 and provide for the necessary movement of the damper-disk member 2 toward or away from its companion member 1. The operating-handle 22 has projected from its opposite side edges the oppositely-located ears 25, to which are pivotally connected the corresponding ears 26 of the pivotal locking-catch 27. The said locking-catch 27 has one end thereof bent to form a pointed engaging prong 28, and interposed between the handle 17 and the pivotal locking-catch 27 is a spring 29, which normally exerts its pressure against the catch 27 for the purpose of holding the prong 28 thereof in engagement with the serrated face 30 on the lockin g disk or plate 31. The locking disk or plate 31 is provided with a central squared opening 32, fitting on the correspondinglyshaped extremity of the tubular trunnion 17 of the disk member 1, and from one edge the said locking disk or plate 31 has projected a radially-extended finger-arm 32, which provides a handle which may be grasped by the operator when it is designed to turn the entire damper on its axis within a stovepipe or flue.

As already explained, the herein-described damper is pivotally supported within a stovepipe or flue 20 by means of the tubular and screw trunnions 17 and 19, respectively, and under normal conditions the damper is arranged at right angles across the pipe or flue 20, so as to close the passage therethrough against the escape of the products of combustion, and in this position the damper is held fast by tightening up the trunnion-screw 19, so as to bind said screw against the pipe or flue. By a loosening of the trunnion-screw 19 it will be obvious that the damper may be permitted to turn freely within the pipe or flue, which is accomplished by grasping the finger-arm 32 of the locking disk or plate 31.

IIO

With the damper in its normal position, so as to register within the passage through the stove pipe or flue 20, the escape of the products of combustion is controlled or regulated by the position of the disk member 2 with relation to the member 1, and this relation may be varied at will bycausing the disk member 2 to be moved or adjusted in a lateral direction toward or away from the disk member 1 through the medium of the operating devices described. justment of the disk member 2 toward or away from the opposing fixed member 1, the operator grasps the operating-handle 22 and releases the engaging prong 28 of the locking-catch 27 from the serrated face of the locking disk or plate 31, by which the handle is rotated in the desired direction, which causes a rotation of the gear-pinion 14 and a consequent reciprocation of the rack-stem 11, which not only serves as an adjusting-stem for the movable disk member 2, but also as a centering-guide therefor. According to the movement of the operating-shaft it will be understood that any desired variation in the area of the ports of the damper members may be secured, and as the products of combustion pass through the ports of the damper members the adjustment of the damper regulates in a measure the draft through the furnace, so asto retard the combustion of the fire or increase the draft to an extent necessary to maintain a bright fire in the furnace or stove.

My improved damper has its slotted members corrugated transversely and arranged relatively to each other to bring the inclined solid portions of one member opposite to the slotted portions of the other member, and thus the two members are adapted to fit snugly and compactly together to form practically a solid imperforate surface to cut off the passage of the products of combustion. On the lateral separation of the members to open the slots therein the solid portions of the two members are disposed in inclined positions to the axis of the pipe to permit the smoke and products of combustion to escape, according to the variation of the area of the slots through the damper members, and the member 2 may be adjusted to a nicetyforeffectually controlling the draft as desired. As the damper member 1 has the slotted bars inclined to the line of draft through the pipe, the smoke and gases are made to pass freely through the slots, because the inclination of the bars deflects the gases and offers minimum obstruction. By having the bars 7 of the damper member 2 inclined to each other and arranging said bars 7 opposite to the slots of the damper member 1 the bars 7 are made to offer minimum resistance and friction to the passage of the smoke in view of the fact that the inclination of the bars deflects the smoke to the slots and around the edges of the damper member. It will therefore be understood that the corrugated members of the To provide for the relative addamper are adapted to be closed so intimately together as to present a solid continuous surface to out off the passage of the products of combustion or to regulate the passage of the smoke therethrough. The damper also has the advantage of being kept in a condition wherein its slots are not filled with carbon or soot, which is due largely to the impingement of the solid portions of one damper member against the other.

Although I have shown and described a rack and pinion as the operative connection between the relatively fixed and adjustable disk members of the damper, it is to be understood that I do not desire to restrict myself to adjusting devices of this character, as other equivalent mechanical means may be employed for securing the same result, and any changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described theinvention,what is'claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A regulator-damper, comprising a pair of relatively fixed and adjustable disk members formed with parallel transverse angular corrugations and having alternate solid portions and slots, the corrugations of the two disk members having a matching fit and the solid portions and slots of the respective disk members being disalined, trunnion-supports for the relatively-fixed member, and an adjusting device for the relatively-adjustable member, substantially as described.

2. A two-part damper consisting of the corrugated slotted members arranged to fit one within the other and provided with inclined bars arranged for the slots of one member to be opposite the bars of the matching member, and means for slidably connecting said members to permit one member to have a lateral adjustment in a direct line with respect to the other member, combined with an operating mechanism to positively eifect such lateral separation of one member with respect to the other member, substantially as described.

3. A two-part damper comprising a corrugated member having its slots disposed beyond the angles formed by the inclined faces thereof, another corrugated member with slots in the angle of its meeting faces and arranged to lie within the first-named member, a stem attached to one member and fitted slidably in the other member to maintain the two members in position for registration thereof, an adjusting device, and a locking contrivance for said adjusting device, substantially as described.

4. A damper comprising the matching members, one of which is provided with clamping and tubular trunnions for pivotally supporting the entire device in a Stovepipe, a rackstem slidably fitted to one member and attached to the other member to separate the same laterally, a ratchet-plate fast with the tubular trunnion for adjusting the damper on its axis, a shaft journaled on the pivotal damper member and geared to the rack-stem, and an operating-handle attached to the shaft and provided with a catch to engage with the ratchet-plate, substantially as described.

5. A damper comprising the matching members one of which is provided with clamping and tubular trunnions for pivotally suspending the entire device Within a Stovepipe, a rack-stem connected to one member and slidably fitted to the other member, a ratchetplate fast with the tubular trunnion of the pivotal member, a shaft disposed obliquely 

